Advertisment

Megaupload founder granted bail

author-image
CIOL Bureau
Updated On
New Update

AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND: The German founder of file-sharing website Megaupload was granted bail by a New Zealand court on Wednesday after a month in custody as he prepares to fight U.S. extradition hearings over Internet piracy and money laundering charges.

Advertisment

Kim Dotcom, who has New Zealand residency and also known as Kim Schmitz and Kim Tim Jim Vestor, was arrested on January 20 on a warrant issued by United States authorities.

Prosecutors say Dotcom was the ringleader of a group that netted $175 million since 2005 by copying and distributing music, movies and other copyrighted content without authorisation.

Dotcom's lawyers say the company simply offered online storage and that he strenuously denies the charges.

Advertisment

Earlier this month, the High Court supported a lower court judge's ruling that there was a significant risk Dotcom, who had passports and bank accounts in three names, might try to flee the country.

Judge Nevin Dawson on Wednesday granted bail on strict conditions, accepting that no new evidence of undisclosed funds have been found.

Helping Dotcom's case was that the other three co-accused had been granted bail and it was unlikely that an extradition hearing could be held before the end of May and possibly as late as July.

Last week, a U.S. grand jury added more charges against Megaupload and its executives, alleging they took copyrighted material from sites such as YouTube for its own service.

Dotcom, 38, and three others were arrested on January 20 after some 70 armed New Zealand police raided his country estate at the request of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation.

tech-news